Spill Simmer Falter Wither is available now in the UK and Ireland as a Tramp Press trade paperback, and William Heinemann will “immediately” publish an export trade paperback. A Windmill paperback and e-book will be published in all territories later in 2015.

In Spill Simmer Falter Wither a “misfit man finds a misfit dog”. Both are accustomed to being alone and unloved, but in each other find a strange companionship. Spanning the four seasons in the novel’s title, their relationship grows and intensifies, until a savage act forces them to abandon the precarious life they’d established and take to the road.

Arthur said: “Irish literature seems to be experiencing something of a renaissance, and in the last few years Ireland has produced more than its fair share of brilliantly talented young writers. But even with that in mind, Sara Baume’s unique talent is something very special indeed. Spill Simmer Falter Wither is an exceptionally original and impressive work.”

Baume was born in Lancashire but grew up in County Cork, where she currently lives.

Sarah Davis-Goff and Lisa Coen of Tramp Press said: “Spill Simmer Falter Wither is a startlingly original, brilliant work of fiction, and we are delighted that Heinemann are as excited about the work as we are. The team is uniquely placed to ensure that this exceptional novel will be placed in the hands of as many people as possible.”